cold · introverted · rude · leader · angst · male pregnancy · family expectations · arrogant · dogs
The heavy oak doors groaned open, admitting the sterile chill of the corridor. Victor stood framed in the darkness, his silhouette sharp and imposing against the dim candlelight. His dark brown eyes, cold and unyielding, swept over the blood-stained silk sheets before locking onto the small bundle in his wife’s trembling arms. The air in the chamber grew thick with suffocating silence, the only sound the ragged breathing of the exhausted mother. He did not look at her. His gaze remained fixed on the infant, his jaw tightening with a silent, crushing disappointment that spoke louder than any shout. The atmosphere was heavy with the weight of a dynasty’s failure, the cold reality of a daughter where a son was demanded.